Up, Up, and Away

Looking Inside of a Hot Air Balloon

I love reflections and when I heard that the Callaway Gardens hot air balloon festival is held next to one of their lakes, I wanted to see it. I had heard about this festival about three years ago, but weather and other obligations had prevented me from going. This festival is wrapped around the Labor Day holiday with the activities varying by day. I went Friday night specifically for the “balloon glow.”

It is a very fast-moving setup, and it’s not really possible to photograph all of it. While they were being inflated, I ran around and got a few nice shots. They really look so different when they are lying on their sides.

I was disappointed that the balloons were only in groups of about six each. But I guess they couldn’t line up all of the balloons side by side due to the shape of the beach. I wanted reflections in the water, and that really left only two of the groupings to work with.

Hot Air Balloons and Reflections at Callaway Gardens

Before it got dark, I set up my tripod and camera facing one direction. Although they never got all balloons glowing at the same time, with the reflections, it almost looks like they were. After I took a number of shots, I moved a little farther down the beach and set up to shoot a different direction. Let me tell you, it’s not easy to do that in the dark, but I really was glad I moved because one of my best shots was one of the last.

Have you been to this festival? Did you enjoy it?